Gears Tactics Review: XCOM Meets Gears Of War

The newest installment in the Gears of War line of games, Gears Tactics _ , is a completely original take on the _Gears franchise. While Gears is known for the over-the-shoulder third-person gunfights and tearing through hordes of enemies in a 3D environment, Gears Tactics keeps that momentum but in a different style. Tactics is similar to games like XCOM where, instead of controlling one character, the player controls a squad of characters while looking at a battlefield with a top-down perspective. This requires players to play Tactics more strategically then they would any other Gears g


It's a fun adaption of mostly old and a little new into something any tactics player will enjoy as much as the uninitiated fan who just want more Gears of War after the most recent entry's controversies . That former group of masochists will surely be looking for punishment, and Gears Tactics has them covered. There are four difficulties, with the Insane option being just as delightfully painful as in the main series. However, XCOM popularized the Ironman mode for the squad tactics genre, (wherein squad perma-death is enabled, missions can't be restarted, and saves auto-wipe after a Gear bites the dust), and fans of meaningful fail states will be glad to know that Ironman is present here and can be used to modify playthroughs of any difficulty, rather than cruelly reserving it exclusively for Ins


It'll surprise some Gears of War fans to learn that the world of the traditionally third-person cover shooter transfers really well into the squad tactics space, and anyone familiar with the Microsoft first-party series will feel right at home in **Gears Tactics ** from the start. The bleak, us-against-them tone, visual distinctness of war-torn planet Sera, and gratuitous gore are all here (though the lattermost is optional, if squeamish players so choose). It walks a well-struck balance of not insulting franchise veterans while still providing first-timers enough context to not get lost at its outset, introducing enough of the pre- Gears of War 1 phase of the brutal Locust War without resorting to an exhaustive level of exposit


Combat ability-wise, Warfare should be taken first to boost Physical damage by a multiplicative amount. Two-Handed will be next as it grants additive damage (of all elements), and as previously mentioned also boosts the critical multiplier. Once those are maxed, consider putting a few points into Scoundrel for even more critical damage, Polymorph for more stat points, and Perseverance to restore ar


XCOM wins this category easily – mainly because Gears Tactics doesn’t feature a base building aspect. Anyone who has played the rebooted XCOM series, then started playing Gears Tactics will immediately notice the lack of a base building SLG game DLC-mechanic. The base building in XCOM adds a secondary strategic layer to the game. Players need to add new rooms to their base in advance of needs, and the rooms help increase the effectiveness of XCOM soldiers and staff. It will probably not surprise gamers if future Gears Tactics games include a base building aspect – it will probably be expec


When it comes to tactical options on the battlefield, Gears Tactics is better than XCOM 2 . Both use the AP (action point) system. Soldiers basically have a set number of action points with which to perform actions. Moving a set distance, using a weapon, or activating a special ability typically cost one AP. Sometimes there are restrictions, like not being able to fire a heavy weapon after moving. Gears Tactics gives each soldier three APs, as opposed to XCOM ’s two. The overwatch action is also much, much better in Gears Tacti


Lastly, it is important to know your enemy. There are four different classes of enemies in Tactics, and each one has their own abilities and stats. It is important to learn what classes look like and what they do before rushing into battle because some enemies are more dangerous than others. Knowing how to defeat a certain type of enemy before engaging can give the player an upper h


As for actual Gears Tactics gameplay, it's fun and punchy Gears of War fare from an all-new top-down perspective, but players well-versed in squad tactics will find it doesn't offer much in the way of anything groundbreaking beneath its well-executed franchise veneer. Combat is the name of the game, bundled into the expected disparate mission and level format, and it's all mostly genre standard stuff. Story and side missions will variously task players' squad of up to four Gears with moving from point A to B (and often back to A) in hostile Locust territory, clearing areas of enemies, rescuing imprisoned COG soldiers, defending control points, and m


Completing research on a new piece of technology gives players a sense of being one step closer to winning the war against the alien invaders. Gears Tactics doesn’t have a research system, and instead uses a more character driven system for story advancem